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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - THE RECKONING

Penulis: Drey Skye
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-27 08:37:04

Amara

Hospitals always smelled the same - disinfectant, metal, and the faint trace of fear that clung to the walls. It should’ve felt familiar by now. But this time, it wasn’t my mother lying behind the glass.

It was Caroline.

Dead.

The word still felt impossible. She’d been too sharp, too alive, too venomous to simply stop. Yet there she was - a body covered by a white sheet, her red coat folded neatly on a chair, as if she’d planned her own ending.

A detective’s voice cut through the hum of machines. “Miss Reyes?”

I turned. He was tall, mid-forties, with a voice too polite to trust. His badge caught the light. “Detective Monroe. We’ll need your statement again.”

I swallowed. “I already told the officers everything.”

“I know,” he said. “But the details matter.” His gaze flicked to the door, where Damian stood a few feet away, speaking to another officer. “Especially when one of the witnesses is Damian Cole.”

I followed his gaze. Damian looked like a ghost wearing an expensive suit. B
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  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - SHADOWS AT THE EDGE

    The safe house wasn’t what she expected.It wasn’t steel and glass like everything else Damian owned. It was wood - old, dark, and quiet. The kind of place that swallowed sound. The walls creaked when the wind leaned against them, and somewhere in the distance, water moved - a stream or maybe rain slipping down the roof.Amara sat by the window, the thin curtain brushing her arm, watching the forest pulse with shadow. Night had teeth out here.Behind her, Damian spoke low into his phone. His voice was calm, but his shoulders were too tight, his tone clipped - the kind of control that wasn’t peace, only pressure.“Two days,” he said. “No signals. I don’t want anyone knowing we’re here.”A pause. Then softer, colder: “If they find this location, you’ll know someone inside gave it up.”He ended the call and turned toward her. For a moment, silence hung between them, heavy and unspoken.“You shouldn’t sit so close to the window,” he said.“I like knowing what’s outside,” Amara murmured.“

  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - THE RECKONING

    AmaraHospitals always smelled the same - disinfectant, metal, and the faint trace of fear that clung to the walls. It should’ve felt familiar by now. But this time, it wasn’t my mother lying behind the glass.It was Caroline.Dead.The word still felt impossible. She’d been too sharp, too alive, too venomous to simply stop. Yet there she was - a body covered by a white sheet, her red coat folded neatly on a chair, as if she’d planned her own ending.A detective’s voice cut through the hum of machines. “Miss Reyes?”I turned. He was tall, mid-forties, with a voice too polite to trust. His badge caught the light. “Detective Monroe. We’ll need your statement again.”I swallowed. “I already told the officers everything.”“I know,” he said. “But the details matter.” His gaze flicked to the door, where Damian stood a few feet away, speaking to another officer. “Especially when one of the witnesses is Damian Cole.”I followed his gaze. Damian looked like a ghost wearing an expensive suit. B

  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - THE TRAP

    AmaraThe streets bled silver under the rain. I could taste the cold on my tongue as the cab sped through the wet city. Every traffic light flickered red like a warning, but I couldn’t stop now.The address from the message led to the industrial docks - the kind of place where no one asked questions. Piles of shipping containers stood like silent witnesses, their paint chipped, their names fading under rust.I should’ve turned back the moment I saw the water, the abandoned cranes, the shadows moving where no one should be. But my mother’s face haunted me - pale, fragile, fighting to breathe - and the message had been clear: If you want to save her, don’t let him come alone.I owed her everything. Even if it meant walking straight into the fire.I stepped out of the cab, my shoes sinking into puddles. My phone had no signal. The world felt too quiet.“Amara.”The voice came from behind me - smooth, familiar, deadly.Caroline stepped out from the shadows, draped in a raincoat, hair slic

  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - THE TRUTH

    AmaraThe rain didn’t stop all night. It battered the villa like the sky was trying to wash it clean - but some stains weren’t meant to fade.Damian and I stood over the folder Caroline left behind. Beside it sat a sleek black drive, no label except one word etched into the casing: TRUTH.It felt heavier than metal. Heavier than the silence stretching between us.“Do you want to see what’s inside?” I asked.His jaw flexed. “No.”I frowned. “Then why keep it?”He didn’t answer right away. His fingers hovered over the drive like it might bite. Finally, he said quietly, “Because not knowing doesn’t make it disappear.”There was something in his voice - tired, haunted.“Then let’s find out,” I said.He gave me a look. “Amara, once this starts, you can’t unsee it.”“I’ve already seen the worst of you,” I whispered. “Haven’t I?”For a second, I thought he’d walk away. Instead, he connected the drive to his laptop. The screen flickered, then a folder opened - files upon files, names, dates,

  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - THE VILLA

    AmaraThe night air was heavy with rain and electricity.The villa loomed at the edge of the cliffs, its windows lit like eyes - too bright, too still. I’d imagined this place a hundred ways when Marissa mentioned it months ago - serenity, solitude, maybe even peace. But standing here now, it felt nothing like peace.It felt like a trap.Damian’s hand was steady on the door handle. Mine wasn’t.“Are you sure about this?” I whispered.He didn’t look at me. “No.”Then he pushed the door open.The silence inside was unnatural - no staff, no sound, just the faint hiss of wind slipping through the curtains. And then, a voice.“Welcome home, Damian.”Caroline stood at the center of the room, surrounded by soft candlelight. She wore red again - a color that clung to her like sin - and in her hands was a slim leather folder.“Caroline,” Damian said, his tone a warning.She smiled, slow and deliberate. “You brought her. How considerate.” Her eyes flicked to me. “I was afraid she’d gone into hi

  • IN THE SHADOW OF DESIRE    CHAPTER TWENTY - THE RETURN (Dual POV)

    AmaraThe city looked different this time - colder, sharper. The skyline that once seemed impossibly high now just looked heavy. Like a crown on the head of a man who didn’t know how to stop wearing it.I stepped off the train with nothing but a single bag, my phone, and the note that had changed everything.You can’t hide from contracts.Whoever sent it knew exactly how to twist the knife. But instead of fear, what I felt now was clarity. I wasn’t running anymore.The cab ride to the Cole Tower was silent. When the building came into view - glass, steel, dominance incarnate - something in my chest tightened. I’d walked into this world as an outsider. This time, I was walking in as an equal - or at least pretending to be one.The receptionist blinked when she saw me. “Miss Blake?”“Yes.” My voice didn’t waver. “Tell Mr. Cole I’m here.”Her fingers hesitated on the phone. “He isn’t expecting you.”“He will,” I said simply.Minutes later, security escorted me upstairs. The elevator ride

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